AN RAF fighter pilot who came to the aid of Iraqi troops pinned down by Islamic State militants despite being low on fuel was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross.

With the fuel gauge of his Typhoon near empty, Squadron Leader Roger Cruickshank swooped to protect the Iraqis before leading his formation back to an air-to-air refuelling tanker flying high above Iraq.

At Buckingham Palace, the Duke of Cambridge today presented the pilot with the medal for saving the Iraqi fighters.

Sqn Ldr Cruickshank, 35, from Aberdeenshire and based at RAF Lossiemouth in Moray, said he and his unit had been in “the right place at the right time”.

“They were very much cornered and in a place where they just couldn’t escape from Daesh [another name for IS] and they were taking casualties,” he said.